Derek
by KellieKat
Summary: To the world you might be just one person, but to one person, you just might be the world.


**A/N: This is my prediction for the upcoming episode "Derek" (11x16), airing in February.**

 **To all my Morcia friends: this story might not be your cup of tea. Derek and Penelope are absolutely my OTP; this is just what I think the writers are setting us up for.**

* * *

 _"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." –Frederick Douglas_

* * *

Spending your day hunting down a sexual sadist didn't exactly set the mood for a sweet, romantic dinner, so when Derek Morgan practically stumbled through his doorway, weary from the physical and emotional weight of the day's case, he barely noticed the smell of homemade garlic bread in the oven and the gentle glow or candlelight radiating from his seldom-used dining room.

"Hey," said Savannah as she met him at the door and took his coat for him. Now, _that_ , he noticed.

Now that his attention was fully on the scenario at hand, Derek furrowed his expressive eyebrows in amusement and mild confusion as he watched Savannah reach for a hanger in the coat closet by the door. Not only was hanging his coat for him an unusually domestic move on her part, but she had also changed out of her scrubs since her shift ended, not into the comfy sweatpants she usually wore around the house, but into a pretty red dress he didn't recognize that tickled the backs of her thighs as she reached up again to hang his jacket.

"Are you going somewhere?" He asked slowly. He focused on her eyes as she leaned in for a welcome home kiss (also a bit unusual), but they revealed no hint as to her motive, and neither did her sweet but straightforward answer: "Nope."

"I just thought we could have a nice dinner here tonight," she elaborated, and he followed her into the dining room only to find the table already beautifully set with candles, wine, and spaghetti, plated on the good china he'd forgotten they even owned.

"Sit down and relax," she implored, smiling broadly at his obvious surprise. "I'll be right back."

Derek grunted slightly as he eased his tired and aching joints into the closest chair - they should eat in here more often; these chairs are really comfortable! - and let his eyelids fall shut. He could hear Savannah clinking around in the kitchen, finding a plate for the garlic bread, he figured, and while he was curious about what was going on, he wasn't curious enough to expel the energy it would take to figure it out. For now, he was just going to smile, relax, and enjoy a delicious meal with a beautiful woman - his beautiful woman - and then hopefully get some sleep before any more psychopaths demanded his services.

* * *

He was just on the cusp of falling asleep when Savannah came click-clacking into the room; apparently she'd put her shoes back on while she was in the kitchen. Derek opened his eyes slightly and glanced down, then smiled appreciatively at the way the black heels accentuated her beautiful legs. She placed a small plate of garlic bread on the table sat down across from Derek, who gave her a genuinely relaxed smile that she'd missed seeing on his face.

"It smells delicious, baby," he told her, and Savannah grinned at the praise. "Let's eat."

After Derek offered a short prayer - Savannah and his momma had both been trying to get him back in church, but he was starting with baby steps - they dug into their meal, eating in comfortable silence until Savannah set down her fork and began to talk.

"We actually had some good news at work today," she informed him. Derek swallowed and looked up curiously; good news was almost as rare in her line of work as it was in his.

When he met her eyes, she continued: "We had a woman find out she was pregnant."

Derek smiled and nodded. "That's great," he said mildly. The expectant look on Savannah's face made him wonder briefly if maybe he was missing something, but he was too exhausted to spare it much thought.

"She was gonna tell her boyfriend tonight," Savannah explained. "She was so excited to surprise him - new dress, candlelight dinner, the works."

When it hit him, Derek literally dropped his fork in surprise. "Savannah," he whispered roughly, "Are we-?"

She gave him a tiny, quick nod, and the tentative smile on her face grew as he rushed around the table and pulled her up into his arms.

"Are you okay with this?" She asked a bit nervously. "I mean, I know we didn't plan it, but-"

She was cut off when Derek placed a firm kiss on her lips, smiled, and said in a tear-cracked voice, "We're gonna have a baby."

"We're gonna have a baby," she whispered back, and he kissed her again, all thoughts of spaghetti and sleep suddenly forgotten.

* * *

"Good morning, crime fighters," Penelope sang as she scurried towards the front of the room. Six pairs of profiler eyes shot to the board as she cued the first slide of the case presentation. Morgan cringed at the images of abandoned body parts.

"Unfortunately, Macy Terrell, Elaine Johnson, and their adopted son Carter from right here in Quantico are not having such a good morning, as both of Carter's mommies were found killed and dismembered at their home last night around 10 pm."

"Who found the bodies?" Reid asked, tapping his long fingers together and looking up from the paper copy of the file Penelope always remembered to print for him.

Garcia cringed as she answered: "Carter, who's seven, called 911 when Macy and Elaine never came home. PD found what's left of them in the backyard."

After a moment of silence, Agent Hotchner cleared his throat and said, "It's just the two victims that we know of, but Quantico PD has asked us to look into it because of the excessive violence and the possibility of a hate crime. The local LGBT community is furious, and we want this solved as soon as possible. Dave, you and JJ head to the crime scene. Reid and Lewis, see what you can get from the ME. Morgan, I need to see you in my office for a moment."

Garcia raised her eyebrows in concern when Hotch said he needed to talk to Morgan. As the team was gathering their things and leaving the conference room, though, her face faded into a smile and she called out, "Hey Hotch!"

"Yes, Garcia?" He turned over his shoulder on his way out the door and smiled slightly at her obvious enthusiasm about whatever she had to say.

"You wanna keep the community calm? Start by not forgetting the QIA+," she suggested with a grin as she followed the field agent into the hallway.

Aaron shook his head slightly and sighed, but he was still almost smiling. "What are you talking about, Garcia?"

"The LGBT community, sir," she explained. "We're called the LGBTQIA+ community now. Get with the times." She was still smiling, so Hotch laughed at her friendly jab.

"Thanks, Garcia," he said, then paused as he realized what she'd said. "'We', Garcia?" She nodded happily and he asked, "So, are you L, B, T, Q, I, A, or plus?"

Penelope have him a sly grin, adjusted her pink glasses and said, "Well, wouldn't you like to know?"

Hotch just smiled and shook his head as the TA headed down the hall to her own office. _Only Garcia._

* * *

Morgan's mind was racing as he stood alone in his boss's office. After his initial shock and joy at his impeding parenthood, the reality of the situation was hitting him like a ton of bricks. He and Savannah both worked long, weird hours; it would be really hard for them to fit a child into that schedule. His own upcoming fatherhood also had his mind on his own dad. He'd lost him so young, and with this job, his own child ran the risk of growing up fatherless, too.

"What's going on, Derek?" asked Hotch without preamble when he joined his fellow profiler in the small office.

Derek looked up, startled. "Nothing," he lied plainly. Aaron raised an eyebrow, and he sighed.

"If you could start over with Haley and Jack," Morgan said softly, "What would you do differently?"

Hotch blinked slowly as he realized the implications of Morgan's question, but chose to just answer him first before addressing Derek's situation directly.

"When Jack was born, I thought I was Superman. I had it all - dream job, beautiful wife, and now I wad starting my own family, and I was cocky and naïve enough to think I could save the whole world and still be home in time for dinner. Suddenly the dream job was becoming a nightmare, and I was so caught up in trying to save the world that I let my own world fall apart."

Derek nodded solemnly. "You can join JJ and Rossi at the crime scene," Hotch said quietly. Morgan's hand was on the doorknob when the Unit Chief added, "And Derek? Congratulations."

* * *

As Agent Morgan grabbed his sunglasses and climbed out of his SUV, Agent Jareau-LaMontagne was guiding a quiet, handcuffed man to the identical car parked beside him while Agent Rossi Mirandized the scrawny, bearded man who smelled like he'd never heard of soap. When he was safely locked in the back of the SUV, Dave and JJ walked back towards Derek.

"Son-of-a-bitch confessed," Rossi informed him.

"He's got his details right, and local PD said no one but the killer has been on the scene," JJ added.

Derek nodded silently and stared into the distance, still consumed in his own thoughts.

"Morgan, you okay?" JJ asked, concern written all over her face.

"What did Aaron want?" Rossi wanted to know.

"Uh, I'm fine, guys," he assured them with a rather unconvincing nod. "It was, uh, it's nothing."

"Savannah's pregnant," the others concluded in unison.

Derek gave them both the same stunned expression as Rossi smirked and JJ giggled. "I've seen that look on a man's face before, Morgan," she reminded him.

"And I've been a profiler longer than you've been out of diapers," Rossi pointed out.

JJ gave her friend a hug and tried to reassure him. "You don't have to stay just because Hotch stayed or just because I did. Do what's right for you guys." Morgan smiled slightly. As much as he hated being profiled, JJ always seemed to know what he needed to hear.

As JJ went to start the SUV and check on the suspect, Dave decided to add his own two cents. "Speaking from experience here, don't let anything keep you from seeing this kid grow up. You might as well be across the Atlantic with no idea they exist if you let work keep controlling your life." Morgan had never seen the senior profiler cry before, but Rossi was wiping tears from his eyes when he said, "I would give anything to start over with my daughter. Don't let this chance slip away from you."

* * *

As Derek pulled out of the gravel driveway of the victim's home, his mind was racing from memory to memory, thought to thought.

* * *

 _A trip to the beach, years and years and years ago. Sarah and Desiree splashing in the ocean while Fran flipped through a magazine and watched Derek throw a football on the beach with his father._

 _Carter Terrell-Johnson's nine year-old heart shattering when the officers told him his mothers were gone._

 _Aaron Hotchner, still covered in the blood of his wife and her killer, holding onto Jack like his life depended on it, because it did._

 _Shooting Ian Doyle. Taking away Declan's father, who loved him until the very end - just not enough to change to keep him safe._

 _A gas station that Derek will never be able to forget. Ten years old, kneeling over his father's lifeless body, screaming for help, his innocent hands covered in blood._

 _Leaning over Garcia's shoulder to see the Halloween photo Hotch had sent her of Jack, dressed not as Spiderman but as his daddy._

* * *

Derek was pulled back to the present by the sound of glass shattering and the crunch of metal on metal as he slammed into the side of an oncoming car.

* * *

 _He's standing in a hospital room, looking down at . . . himself? He blinks a few times, but he's still there, this other Derek. He seems fine, just unconscious, and he's got a long cast on his leg. Aw, man, that was his good knee!_

 _He thought he was alone with himself in the room, but when he looks towards the door, there's someone else standing there. Derek would know him anywhere, even from behind: his broad shoulders, his slight limp, the lion tattoo identical to the one he sees in the mirror every day._

" _Dad?"_

 _His father turns around slowly, and Derek sees that the many years since his death haven't aged him at all. If anything, he looks even younger than he did when Derek was growing up; he seems so at peace in a way he rarely was during his life._

" _Am I dead?"_

 _The question terrifies him, but he has to know. Derek can feel his heart pounding out of his chest in anticipation as he waits for his father's answer; his mind is going a million miles a minute with worry – for Savannah, for his mother, for his unborn child. Perhaps it's better this way, he thinks ruefully. This job is so dangerous, and a child can never miss a father he never knew. His heart aches at the thought of never knowing his son or daughter, but he can't help but wonder if that wouldn't be less painful than losing one's father the way he did._

" _You aren't dead, son." His voice is just as Derek remembers it, the memory preserved perfectly even after all this time, and his words give Derek a sense of relief like he's never known before. He's still got a chance._

" _I . . . I miss you," he finally whispers. Tears are streaming down his face now as he watches intently the eyes of the man whose shoes he's never felt good enough to fill. "I don't know if I can do this."_

 _The older Mr. Morgan gives his son a quizzical look. "Do what? You've become a fine man, Derek. A strong man. A good man. I am so proud of you."_

 _Derek shakes his head emphatically as his shoulders shake with silent sobs. "It's not enough," he confesses. "Dad, I'm never gonna be good enough."_

 _His father crosses the room quickly and smoothly and takes Derek's hands in his. "You already are," he assures him. "You don't have to be just like me, son, and you don't have to be everything to everyone. Look at me." Derek obeys immediately, and he's suddenly flooded with the indescribable calm he saw on his father's face earlier._

" _All you can do, Derek, is give all you've got to_ someone _." He smiles at his son and adds, "Or two someones."_

 _Derek opens his mouth to respond, to thank his father, to tell him he loves him, but his voice is gone and then the room is getting blurry and the calm is flying away and he can't find his father. No, there's so much more he needs to say, so much more he needs to hear . . ._

* * *

"Derek? Derek! You're awake!" A very blurry Penelope Garcia came hurrying over and ran her hand affectionately down his sore face. As she came slowly into focus, he could see that she'd been crying.

"Hey, Baby Girl, why the tears?" Derek asked with a smile. He could feel himself becoming more alert as the anesthesia wears off; he must've needed surgery on his knee after the accident.

"Savannah went home to grab a quick shower after her shift but she's on her way back right now. I'm texting her to tell her you're awake. Is there anything else you want me to say?" Penelope asked quickly as she typed out a message with purple painted fingernail.

"Yeah," He decided. Garcia turned towards him to listen to his message, and he grinned brilliantly. "Tell her that I love them both so much, and that I can't wait to see her."

Penelope's finger stopped typing and her jaw dropped as she took in what he'd said. "Both?" she squeaked. At his smile and nod, she squealed with delight and threw her arms around Derek's neck. "Congratulations, Daddy Derek! Oh, does the team know?" He could practically see the wheels spinning in her cute blonde head as she no doubt tried to brainstorm everything from baby shower games to ways to get his offspring into Cal Tech.

"Well, you're the first I've told, but Hotch, Rossi, and JJ already profiled it out of me. I just found out last night."

While Garcia laughed and finished up the message, Derek took a deep breath and prepared to ask the first of a few very important questions he planned to pose today. "Hey, Penelope?"

At the sound of her first name, the analyst set down her phone and gave him her full attention. This sounded important.

"I haven't asked Savannah yet, but will you be my best man?"

Garcia covered her mouth with her hand in delight and shock. When she realized that Derek was still waiting for an answer (as if she'd say no!), a grin broke across her face and she said, "As long as I don't have to wear a tux."

"Deal."

* * *

A few hours later, Derek Morgan and Aaron Hotchner were in Matteo Cruz's office, trying to finish filling out paperwork that none of the three had ever used before: forms for early retirement.

"And just sign here," said Section Chief Cruz, handing Derek a pen and pointing out the black line at the very bottom of what they all hoped was the last required form. When the agent's illegible signature was finished, all three stood up, and Cruz extended his hand to Morgan.

"I'm sorry to see you go," He said, honestly but quite professionally. "It's been a pleasure working with you, and I wish you a speedy recovery and the best of luck in all future endeavors."

"Thank you, sir," Derek said with a nod and a firm handshake, then left the office with Hotch following close behind.

When he saw the tiny flicker of regret flash across his former agent's face, Hotch placed a hand on Morgan's shoulder and said. "You're a great agent, Derek. But you're also a great friend, and you're going to be a great husband, and you're going to be a great father. I'm sure of it." Morgan sighed uncertainly and Aaron grinned as he said, "Trust me. I'm a profiler."

Derek laughed for a moment as he and Hotch headed for the middle of the bullpen, and then turned to see Spencer and Savannah stepping off of the elevator. His chest lurched with nerves as he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what he was about to do.

"Hey," Savannah said with a smile as she approached the pair. "You ready to go?"

"I have to get my stuff out my office first," Derek said. "I just retired."

Savannah's jaw dropped in shock. "Oh my god, Der-"

"There's one more thing." She fell silent and continued to look at him with a nervous sort of smile on her face. Derek could feel the weight of six teammates' eyes on him, but reminded himself that the only ones that mattered were right in front of him. "I've got two bad knees now," he joked, "But Savannah Hayes, I love you with all of my heart. Let me make an honest woman out of you. Will you marry me?"

Tears were streaming down her beautiful face as she pulled Derek into a passionate kiss and whispered, "Yes."

* * *

" _To the world, you might be just one person, but to one person, you just might be the world."_


End file.
